BBC News 18 March 2015 Last updated at 17:12

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Savers targeted in election Budget

George Osborne unveils tax cuts for first-time buyers, workers and savers and claims Britain is "walking tall again," in his final Budget before the election.


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Budget 2015

  1.  
    @BBC_HaveYourSay Tweet us

    @TaleahPrince tweets: @BBC_HaveYourSay - positive reaction from the stock exchange on the budget - raised quite sharply when announced oil tax reductions

     
  2.  
    17:08: Market update
    FTSE 100 share price graph

    The chancellor's raised growth forecast for 2015 and confident economic outlook helped push London's benchmark index higher. The FTSE 100 ended the day up 1.57% at 6,945.2 points. Standard Chartered surged 8.08% on broker upgrades.

     
  3.  
    Savings changes Chris Mason Political correspondent, BBC News

    George Osborne is making the first £1,000 of the interest earned on savings tax-free from April 2016. Higher-rate taxpayers will benefit, but only from the first £500 of their savings. This will help the vast majority of taxpayers, but not by very much - few of us have enough dosh in the bank to earn more than a grand in interest in a year. The Treasury estimates the average benefit will be around £15 per year.

     
  4.  
    16:57: 'Aggressive campaign'

    Writing in the Spectator, Isabel Hardman explains what the Budget says about the election campaign. "The NHS was the one line of attack that Osborne didn't shut down, and it will be the main line of attack in an aggressive campaign from Labour. Labour will try to scare voters about the prospect of the Tories being in charge of the NHS as the Tories try to scare voters about the prospect of a Labour Chancellor. The result of the election may end up hinging simply on which is the least scary prospect."

     
  5.  
    Via Blog Kamal Ahmed BBC Business editor

    If you work in the North Sea oil and gas sector, today was a good day. If you work in the City, today was not quite as cheery. Read Kamal's budget analysis here.

     
  6.  
    16:49: Savings tax break BBC News Channel
    Martin Lewis, MoneySavingExpert.com

    Personal finance expert Martin Lewis told the BBC News Channel: "[On] a thousand pounds interest, you'd currently pay £200 tax on that, as a basic rate tax payer. It's £200 a year maximum giveaway. But it will be very, very popular for the many, many people in the country who have savings and many pensioners out there."

     
  7.  
    Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk Get in touch

    Mark emails: I'm a public sector worker in the North East. Huge increase in pension contributions year after year and lack of pay rise (zero again this year) mean I'm taking home less pay than in 2010. Economic growth? How is it helping me and thousands of others? I am not better off than four-five years ago. My standard of living has been cut.

     
  8.  
    16:40: North Sea oil BBC News Channel
    Jenny Laing, leader of Aberdeen City Council

    The leader of Aberdeen City Council, Jenny Laing, welcomes the new investment incentives and tax breaks given to the North Sea oil and gas industry. It will be great for Aberdeen, she tells the BBC. It will bring more jobs and investment into the city, she says.

     
  9.  
    Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk Get in touch

    Rosie Shaw in Cambridge emails: Properties for sale in Cambridge today online at or under £250,000: 18. Cheapest of those: £120,000 for a half share of a one bed flat. To put it politely, the new ISAs are no use at all in the areas where it's most difficult to buy. The Help to Buy ISAs start this autumn, it will take you four and a half years to save the maximum amount. A five year wait to get an extra £3,000 for your deposit. The the maximum property price outside London is £250,000.

     
  10.  
    16:30: National Insurance BBC News Channel

    Economist Andrew Sentance tells the BBC that he would have like to have seen changes to national insurance. He accepts it would have been difficult for the chancellor to do something ahead of the general election, but says tax reforms should be high on the agenda for the next government.

     

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